99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.

2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 2

HexWeb
Honeycomb
Attributes and
Properties
A comprehensive
guide to standard
Hexcel honeycomb
materials,
configurations,
and mechanical
properties
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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
How Honeycomb Is Manufactured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Honeycomb Cell Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Honeycomb Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Aluminum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Fiberglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Aramid Fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Nomex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Kevlar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
KOREX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Special Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Carbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Polyurethane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Specifying Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Guide to Determining Which Type of Honeycomb to Specify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Most Important Attributes of Each Honeycomb Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Mechanical Properties and Test Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Density and Thickness Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Compressive Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Crush Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
L and W Shear Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Additional Mechanical Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Classification of Mechanical Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Correlation of Shear Strength Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Effect of Core Thickness on Plate Shear Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Correlation of Flexural Shear Strength Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Mechanical Property Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
5052 Alloy Hexagonal Aluminum Honeycomb Specification Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5056 Alloy Hexagonal Aluminum Honeycomb Specification Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Aluminum Commercial Grade (ACG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5052 Alloy RigicellTM Aluminum Corrugated Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5052 and 5056 Alloy Aluminum Flex-Core Specification Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
HRP Fiberglass Reinforced Phenolic Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
HFT Fiberglass Reinforced Phenolic Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
HRH-327 Fiberglass Reinforced Polyimide Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
HRH-10 Aramid Fiber/Phenolic Resin Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
HRH-310 Aramid Fiber/Polyimide Resin Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
HRH-78 Nomex Commercial Grade Aramid Fiber/Phenolic Resin Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
HRH-49 Kevlar 49 Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
KOREX Aramid Fiber/Phenolic Resin Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
TPU Thermoplastic Polyurethane Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
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Contents cont.

Comparison of Typical Mechanical Properties and Other Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Additional Properties of Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Acoustical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Air/Fluid Directionalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Pressure Drop Across Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Bending of Honeycomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Dielectric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Energy Absorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Moisture Absorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Radio Frequency Shielding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Thermal Conductivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Comparison and Benefits of Honeycomb Versus Alternative Core Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Hexcel Honeycomb Technical Literature Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

CFC, CR-PAA, Double-Flex, HexWeb, Micro-Cell, OX-Core, Rigicell, and TPU are trademarks of Hexcel Corporation, Pleasanton, California.
ACG,Acousti-Core, CECORE, CR III, CROSS-CORE, Fibertruss, Flex-Core, HFT, HOBE, HRH, HRP, Tube-Core, Hexcel, and the Hexcel logo are
registered trademarks of Hexcel Corporation, Pleasanton, California.
Kevlar, KOREX, and Nomex and are registered trademarks of E.I. DuPont de Nemours,Wilmington, Delaware.
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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Introduction
Hexcel has produced more than 700 varieties of honeycomb over the past 50 years.Today, HexWeb honeycomb
is available in a wide range of materials and cell configurations, and additional products are continually developed
in response to new uses for honeycomb sandwich construction.
This brochure lists the materials, configurations, and mechanical properties of Hexcels standard honeycomb
as a guide to selecting honeycomb core best suited for particular applications.

Solid Metal Sandwich Thicker

Sheet Construction Sandwich

4t
2t
t

Relative Stiffness 100 700 3700

7 times more rigid 37 times more rigid!

Relative Strength 100 350 925

3.5 times as strong 9.25 times as strong!

Relative Weight 100 103 106

3% increase in weight 6% increase in weight

A striking example of how honeycomb stiffens a structure without materially increasing its weight.

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How Honeycomb Is Manufactured

Honeycomb is made primarily by the expansion method.The corrugated process is most common for high
density honeycomb materials.

Expansion Process of Honeycomb Manufacture

Roll
Web

Sheet
HOBE Block HOBE Slice
Adhesive

Expanded Sheet

Expansion Process
The honeycomb fabrication process by the expansion method begins with the stacking of sheets of the
substrate material on which adhesive node lines have been printed.The adhesive lines are then cured to form
a HOBE (HOneycomb Before Expansion) block.
The HOBE block itself may be expanded after curing to give an expanded block. Slices of the expanded
block may then be cut to the desired T dimension.Alternately, HOBE slices can be cut from the HOBE block
to the appropriate T dimension and subsequently expanded. Slices can be expanded to regular hexagons,
underexpanded to 6-sided diamonds, and overexpanded to nearly rectangular cells.
The expanded sheets are trimmed to the desired L dimension (ribbon direction) and W dimension (transverse
to the ribbon).

Corrugated Process of Honeycomb Manufacture

Corrugated Sheet Corrugated Block
L L
Web T

W
T
Roll Corrugated Rolls
W 1

Corrugated Sheet

Corrugated Process
The corrugated process of honeycomb manufacture is normally used to produce products in the higher
density range. In this process adhesive is applied to the corrugated nodes, the corrugated sheets are stacked
into blocks, the node adhesive cured, and sheets are cut from these blocks to the required core thickness.

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Honeycomb Cell Configurations

Hexagonal Core
The standard hexagonal honeycomb is the
basic and most common cellular honeycomb
configuration, and is currently available in all
metallic and nonmetallic materials. T
W
direction

L
direction

OX-CoreTM
The OX configuration is a hexagonal honey-
comb that has been overexpanded in the
W direction, providing a rectangular cell
configuration that facilitates curving or forming T
in the L direction.The OX process increases
W shear properties and decreases L shear W
direction
properties when compared to hexagonal
honeycomb.

L
direction

Reinforced Hexagonal Core

Reinforced honeycomb has a sheet of substrate
material placed along the nodes in the ribbon
direction to increase the mechanical properties.
T

W
direction

L
direction

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Flex-Core
The Flex-Core cell configuration provides for T
exceptional formability in compound curvatures
with reduced anticlastic curvature and without W
buckling the cell walls. Curvatures of very tight direction
radii are easily formed.When formed into tight
radii, Flex-Core provides higher shear strengths
than comparable hexagonal core of equivalent
density. Flex-Core is manufactured from aluminum,
Nomex, and fiberglass substrates.
L
direction

Double-FlexTM
Double-Flex is a unique large cell Flex-Core
for excellent formability and high specific T
compression properties. Double-Flex is the
most formable cell configuration. W
direction

L
direction

Tube-Core
Tube-Core configuration provides a uniquely
designed energy absorption system when the
space envelope requires a column or small
diameter cylinder. The design eliminates the loss
of crush strength that occurs at the unsupported
edges of conventional honeycomb.Tube-Core is
constructed of alternate sheets of flat aluminum
foil and corrugated aluminum foil wrapped
around a mandrel and adhesively bonded. Outside
diameters can range from 1/2 inch to 30 inches
and lengths from 1/2 inch to 36 inches.

Other Configurations
Hexcel can design and fabricate special
geometrics in response to specific needs.

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Honeycomb Materials
Aluminum Honeycomb
Hexcel aluminum honeycombs are designated as Aluminum honeycomb is available in four different
follows: alloys, aerospace grades 5052 and 5056, and commercial
Material Cell Size Alloy Foil Thickness Density grades 3104 and 3003.
Example: 5052 Alloy
Specification grade honeycomb in the 5052 H39
CR III 1/4 5052 .002N 4.3 aluminum alloy is available for general purpose
Where: applications, in a very wide range of cell size/density
combinations in the hexagonal and Flex-Core
CR III signifies the honeycomb is treated with a
configurations. OX-Core and underexpanded cell
corrosion-resistant coating
configuration can also be provided.
1/4 is the cell size in fractions of an inch
5056 Alloy
5052 is the aluminum alloy used Specification grade honeycomb in the 5056 H39
.002 is the nominal reference foil thickness in aluminum alloy offers superior strength over 5052
inches alloy honeycomb. It is also available in a broad range
of cell size/density combinations in the hexagonal and
N indicates the cell walls are nonperforated Flex-Core configurations.The strength properties of
(P indicates perforated) 5056 alloy honeycomb are approximately 20% greater
4.3 is the density in pounds per cubic foot that the comparable properties of 5052 alloy honey-
comb of similar cell size, foil gauge, and density.
Corrosion-Resistant Coatings
Corrosion-resistant coatings consist of a base layer ACG
underlying a primer layer. Aluminum honeycomb Aluminum Commercial Grade (ACG) honeycomb
is available with two different corrosion-resistant provides a low-cost aluminum honeycomb product
coating options.These are CR III chromate-based and for industrial applications.All ACG materials are
CR-PAA phosphoric acid anodized.The corrosion provided with CR III coating. Hexcel produces ACG
resistant coating is applied to the foil before the node from 3000 series aluminum alloys. 3003 aluminum
adhesive is placed on the foil, thereby ensuring alloy is used for energy absorption applications where
corrosion protection over the full foil surface. previous qualification studies specified this particular
alloy. Hexcel also uses 3104 alloy for the manufacture
CR III
of honeycomb with the flexibility to provide either
CR III corrosion-resistant coating consists of a chro- 3104 or 3003 ACG, whichever is more appropriate for
mate-based protective layer and an organo-metallic the application.
polymer. CR III corrosion-resistant coating has been
specified by the U.S. military for almost 30 years.
CR-PAATM
CR-PAA phosphoric acid anodized coating provides
superior performance in certain instances. CR-PAA
is superior with regards to:
bond strength to aluminum facings
in sandwich panel applications
salt spray environments
resistance to crack propagation
hot/wet environments

* Perforated honeycomb is used when the curing of the core-to-skin adhesive results in volatiles that must be vented, and in space applications where the atmosphere
must be evacuated. The honeycomb may be slotted, if necessary.

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Fiberglass Reinforced Honeycomb
Hexcel fiberglass reinforced honeycombs are
designated as follows:
Material Cell Size Density
Example:
HRP 3/16 4.0
Where:
HRP refers to the type of material
3/16 is the cell size in fractions of an inch
4.0 is the nominal density in pounds
per cubic foot
HRP
HRP is a fiberglass fabric reinforced honeycomb
dipped in a heat-resistant phenolic resin to achieve
the final density.This product was developed for use
at service temperatures up to 350F. However, it is also
well suited for short exposures at higher temperatures.
The HRP-series honeycomb is available in the standard
hexagonal configuration, as well as in the two formable
configurationsOX-Core and Flex-Core.
HFT
HFT is a fiberglass fabric reinforced honeycomb that
incorporates a 45 Fibertruss bias weave dipped
in a heat-resistant phenolic resin to achieve the final
density.This material is recommended for use at
service temperatures up to 350F but is well suited
for short exposures at higher temperatures.The
Fibertruss configuration greatly enhances the shear
properties. HFT has a much higher shear modulus
than HRP or HRH-10.
HRH-327
HRH-327 is a fiberglass fabric, polyimide node
adhesive, bias weave reinforced honeycomb dipped
in a polyimide resin to achieve the final density.This
material has been developed for extended service
temperatures up to 500F with short range capabilities
up to 700F.
HDC-F
HDC-F is a heavy density core fiberglass honeycomb
that offers enhanced compressive properties.
7
Aramid Fiber Reinforced Honeycomb
Hexcel aramid-fiber reinforced honeycomb is
designated as follows:
Material Cell Size Density
Example:
HRH-10 3/16 3.0
Where:
HRH-10 refers to the type of material
3/16 is the cell size in fractions of an inch
3.0 is the nominal density in pounds per cubic foot
Hexcel manufactures aramid-fiber reinforced honey-
comb from three types of para-aramid substrates.
These para-aramid substrates are Nomex (HRH-10,
HRH-78, HRH-310), Kevlar (HRH-49), and KOREX.
HRH-10
This product consists of Duponts Nomex aramid-fiber
paper dipped in a heat-resistant phenolic resin to
achieve the final density. It features high strength and
toughness in a small cell size, low density nonmetallic
core. It is available in hexagonal, OX-Core, and Flex-Core
configurations. It is fire-resistant and recommended
for service up to 350F.
HRH-310
HRH-310 is made from the same aramid-fiber paper
described above, except dipped in a polyimide resin
to achieve the final density. It is produced in both
hexagonal and overexpanded cell configurations.
Outstanding features are its relatively low dielectric
and loss tangent properties.
HRH-78
HRH-78 is DuPonts non-aerospace specification grade
Nomex aramid-fiber paper dipped in a heat-resistant
phenolic resin to achieve the final density. HRH-78 is
used in marine, rail, and other non-aerospace applications.
HRH-49
HRH-49 is made from Kevlar 49 fabric impregnated
with an epoxy resin. Significant advantages of HRH-49
honeycomb are its excellent thermal stability and
relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion.
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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

KOREX
KOREX honeycomb is made from KOREX aramid paper
dipped in a heat-resistant phenolic resin to achieve the
final density. KOREX honeycomb offers improved
strength-to-weight ratios and/or lower moisture absorp-
tion than Nomex honeycomb of a similar configuration.
Special Honeycomb
HFT-G
HFT-G is a bias weave carbon fabric reinforced
honeycomb dipped in either a heat-resistant phenolic
resin or a polyimide resin to achieve the final density.
This product was developed for use at service tempera-
tures up to 500F. However, it is well suited for short
exposures at higher temperatures. HFT-G has a very
low coefficient of thermal expansion and a high shear
modulus value.
TPU
TPU is thermoplastic polyurethane honeycomb.TPU
honeycomb has unique properties of energy redirec-
tion, fatigue resistance, and flexibility.
Micro-Cell
Micro-Cell is 1/16 inch cell size. Micro-Cell is available
in 5052 and 5056 aluminum alloys and HRH-10 Nomex
aramid honeycomb. Micro-Cell was developed for air
directionalizing systems and for use in structural panels
where minimized dimpling and distortion of the
facings are required.
Acousti-Core
Acousti-Core consists of honeycomb filled with sound
absorbing fiberglass batting.Any honeycomb material
may be used, with HRH-10 and aluminum the most
common.The cell size must be 3/16 inch or greater.
See page 29 for the noise reduction coefficient of
honeycomb filled with fiberglass batting. In addition
to Acousti-Cores sound absorption characteristics,
two side benefits also result from the addition of the
batting to the honeycomb core.The smoke generated
in the N.B.S. smoke chamber is greatly reduced with
the aramid Acousti-Core materials, and the thermal
conductivity is reduced due to the batting.

8
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 12

Specifying Honeycomb Most Important Attributes

When honeycomb is specified, the following informa- of Each Honeycomb Material
tion needs to be provided:
Each of the honeycomb materials profiled above
Material has specific benefits that are key to its specification.
Cell configuration In general terms, some of the most beneficial proper-
(hexagonal, OX-Core, Flex-Core, etc.) ties of each honeycomb material are as follows:
Cell size
Aluminum Honeycomb
Alloy and foil gauge (aluminum honeycomb only)
relatively low cost
Density
best for energy absorption
Cell sizes range from 1/16" to 1", with 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", greatest strength/weight
and 3/8" being the most common. Honeycomb densi-
thinnest cell walls
ties range from 1.0 lb/ft3 to 55 lb/ft3.
smooth cell walls
Guide to Determining Which Type conductive heat transfer
of Honeycomb to Specify electrical shielding
Determining which type of honeycomb to specify machinability
requires that the relevant possible attributes be defined Aramid Fiber Honeycomb
for the application.The attributes that help determine flammability/fire retardance
the most appropriate honeycomb type can include the large selection of cell sizes, densities, and strengths
following: formability and parts-making experience
Cost vs. value/performance insulative
Piece size low dielectric properties
Density Fiberglass
Strength multidimensional strength of a woven structure
Compressive heat formability
Impact insulative
Shear low dielectric properties
Fatigue
Flatwise tensile Carbon
Cell wall thickness dimensional stability and retention
Moisture strength retention and performance at high
Color temperatures
Ultraviolet light exposure very low coefficient of thermal expansion
Environmental chemicals tailorable thermal conductivity
Processing and operating temperature range relatively high shear modulus
Flammability/fire retardance Polyurethane
Thermal conductivity/insulation/heat transfer cushioning
Electrical conductivity unaffected by moisture
Wall surface smoothness energy redirection
Abrasion resistance fatigue-resistant
Cushioning color choices
Machinability/Formability
Facings
Material
Bonding process, adhesive, conditions
Thickness

9
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 13

HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Mechanical Properties and Test Methods

The test methods used for the honeycomb properties Test Methods Compressive Test
listed in this brochure are based on MIL-STD-401 and The standard specimen
the applicable ASTM Standards.The properties and the size for bare and stabilized
test methods employed are outlined below. Unless compressive tests is 3" L x
specifically stated, the test properties listed have been 3" W x 0.625" T for alu-
performed at room temperature. minum honeycomb and
Density and Thickness Measurements 3" L x 3" W x 0.500" T for
nonmetallic cores. For cell
The density of honeycomb is expressed in pounds per sizes 1/2 inch or larger, a
cubic foot. Hexcel certifies that aerospace grade core 4" x 4" or even a 6" x 6"
will not vary in density by more than 10% from list specimen size is used to
nominal values.The density tolerance for commercial reduce the error devel-
grade aluminum core is 17%.The density of produc- oped by edge effect on
tion honeycomb is normally measured on full-size small samples. Stabilized
expanded sheets. compressive specimens
Physical dimensions and weight measurements are are normally prepared by
taken to within 0.5%.The thickness is measured to the bonding .032" AL 5052
nearest 0.001 inch in accordance with ASTM C366, thick facings to each side.
Method B. Both bare and stabilized compressive tests are conducted
Compressive Properties with self-aligning loading heads. Unless otherwise
The stabilized compressive strength (also called flat- specified, the loading rate used is 0.020 inches per
wise compressive strength) represents the ultimate minute. Deflection recordings are made with a displace-
compressive strength of the honeycomb in pounds per ment transducer that measures the relative movement
square inch when loaded in the T direction. Normally of the loading and bearing surfaces through the center
for this test, facings are adhesively bonded to the honey- of the specimen.
comb material (stabilized compressive). Crush Strength
The stabilized After honeycomb has exceeded its ultimate compres-
General Honeycomb
compressive Initial Compressive
sive strength, it will continue to deform plastically and
modulus, also Stress-Strain Curves crush uniformly.The load-deflection curve shows such
expressed in Compressive
a typical response.
Carbon Aluminum Strength
pounds per The average crush load Typical Load-Deflection Curve

square inch, per unit cross-sectional

Stress

is determined Nomex area is defined as the

Bare Compressive Strength

from the slope crush strength,expressed

Load

of the initial Strain

in pounds per square Crush Strength

straight-line inch. Honeycomb will

portion of the stress-strain curve. Some honeycomb
materials exhibit a linear initial stress-strain relation-
ship, while other honeycomb materials exhibit a
nonlinear curved initial stress-strain relationship.
The bare compressive strength is the ultimate compressive
strength of the core in pounds per square inch when
loaded in the T direction without stabilization of the
cell edges.The value is normally used for an acceptance
criteria since this test is easier and faster to perform.
crush at virtually a
constant stress level
(dependent on the core material and density), hence
its absorption capacity is predictable, making it ideal for
energy absorption applications.When used in this
manner, the core is often precrushed slightly to remove
the compressive peak in the load-deflection curve.The
crush strength of honeycomb decreases with increasing
angle loading from the thickness.

10
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 14
Test Methods
Fixed loading and bearing plates are used for crush
strength tests and a deflectometer is employed to
measure the travel of the crosshead of the test
machine. In order to obtain a meaningful crush
load-deflection curve, a minimum core thickness
of 0.625 inches should be used.
It should be noted that the crush strength values
presented in this brochure are typical static test results.
It has been found that under dynamic loading, these
values increase nonlinearly with impact velocity, and
numbers as much as 30% higher have been reported.
L and W Shear Properties
The shear strength of honeycomb as presented in this
brochure refers to the ultimate stress in pounds per
square inch when a shear load is applied parallel to the
LW plane.The shear modulus is the slope of the initial
straight-line portion of the stress-strain curve.The val-
ues so obtained are dependent upon the orientation of
the applied loading with respect to the L and W dimen-
sions, being highest in the L direction and lowest in the
W direction for hexagonal honeycomb.
11
Test Methods
Plate Shear Test Method
The shear strength and modulus
values presented in this brochure
were obtained using the com-
pressive and/or tensile plate
shear method.The specimen
size for aluminum honeycomb
is normally 7.5" x 2" x 0.625" T.
Nonmetallic honeycombs test
sample size is 6" x 2" x 0.500" T.
Thicknesses conform to MIL-C-7438
and MIL-C-8073, respectively.
The specimens are bonded to
1/2-inch thick steel loading
plates and then tested as shown.
The loading rate is normally
0.020 inches per minute. Shear
deflections are measured with
a displacement transducer that
senses the relative movement of
the two plates. Since some non-
metallic materials will not always
have a truly linear stress-strain curve (particularly at
elevated temperatures), the shear modulus is normally
calculated from the slope of the initial straight-line
portion of the load-deflection curve.
Honeycomb with densities of 8.0 pcf and higher are
sometimes difficult to fail in shear by the plate shear
method because of the high shear loads introduced
to the adhesive bond between the core and the steel
plates. In some cases, shear data from beam-flexure
testing will be more applicable.This is true for thicker
and also heavier density cores.
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 15

HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Beam-Flexure Test Method Additional Mechanical Properties

Although the plate shear method is preferred for Numerous tests on both core materials and bonded
obtaining actual honeycomb shear strength and sandwich panels have been run by Hexcel laboratory
modulus results, the beam-flexure test is often used personnel for qualification to
to evaluate overall sandwich panel performance. military specifications, or for
Experience indicates that since these values are internal R&D purposes.
very much dependent on the facing thickness, facing
material, and loading conditions, the calculated Classification of
honeycomb properties may vary considerably Mechanical Properties
from one test series to the next. Many types of Hexcel classifies its mechanical
beam-flexure tests have been used.The two most properties data into three
common techniques are shown schematically below. categories dependent upon
The specimen size is 8" x 3".The span between sup- the extent of the testing being
ports is 6" and either one or two point loading can be reported.These classifications
used.The distance between the load pads for two point are as follows:
loading is normally 1/3 the span. For additional details 1. Preliminary Data resulting
refer to MIL-C-7438 and ASTM C393. from a very limited amount of
Again, it should be stressed that the resulting beam- testing are indicative of the
flexure data should only be considered a test of the properties expected, but do not
facings, adhesives, and core acting as a composite necessarily represent the mean
sandwich structure. Core shear values obtained by values of a normal scatter of test
flexure tests are often higher than those obtained from data. Generally, preliminary val-
plate shear tests (see page 14 for correlation factors ues are obtained from testing
between plate shear and beam-flexure data). one or two blocks of a honey-
comb type. Numbers followed
by the letter P indicate prelimi-
nary data.
2. Typical Data representing
extensive testing of many blocks
of a particular honeycomb mate-
rial.A typical value is the mean
average of a relatively large
number of test values.
3. Minimum Hexcel guaran-
tees the minimum individual
properties listed on standard
honeycomb types.
Predicted values based upon
Flatwise Tensile Hexcels educated best guess
Flatwise tensile is used to measure bond strength of are provided in the mechanical
adhesives and/or the tensile strength of the honey- property tables for core types
comb core. Most structural adhesives will be stronger when data do not exist.
than aluminum core up to about 6 pcf.This test is most
useful in determining skin preparation, bonding condi-
tions, and prepreg adhesions. See MIL-STD-401 and
ASTM C297.

12
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 16

Correlation of Shear Strength Data

Effect of Core Thickness
on Plate Shear Strength
Honeycomb shear strength will vary with core thickness.
Referring to the tensile plate shear shown on page 11,
it can be shown that the shear load induces a minor
component parallel to the cell axis that stretches the
honeycomb.The honeycomb, therefore, is not being
subjected to pure shear but to a combination of shear
and tension.Thicker cores will have a lower usable
shear strength than thinner ones.
In view of the above, one might conclude that a plot
of usable shear strength vs. core thickness would show
the true core shear strength approached asymptoti-
cally with vanishing core thickness. However, for very
thin cores the filleting of the core-to-skin adhesives has
a strengthening effect on the shear data. Normally, the
filleting depth is but a fraction of the core thickness,
but for very thin cores this depth is a substantial frac-
tion of the thickness and possibly the entire cell wall
may be filleted. Such a phenomenon would affect the
apparent core shear strength considerably.Also, since
the filleting depth depends on the adhesive used, test
results on thin cores vary from one adhesive to another.
For the above reasons and in view of typical core thick-
ness values in actual usage, as well as several aircraft
company and military specifications, aluminum honey-
comb is generally tested at 0.625" T while nonmetallic
honeycomb is tested at 0.500" T. However, Hexcel is
often asked to qualify core materials to other thickness
values.The graph below, generated from actual Hexcel
data, gives correction factors for both aluminum and
nonmetallic honeycomb for values other than 0.625" T
and 0.500" T, respectively.The graph shows average
correction factors.

Correction Factors

1.2

1.1

1.0
Correction Factor K

No Alum
.9 nm
eta inum
llic
.8

.7

.6

.5

.4

.3

0 .5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

Core Thickness Inch

13
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 17

HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Correlation of Flexural Shear Strength Data
As previously indicated, the plate shear test method is
regarded as the most desirable way of obtaining actual
honeycomb shear properties.The results from the
beam-flexure method have been found to be influ-
enced by several parameters, such as facing thickness,
facing material, core thickness, and loading conditions.
The facing thickness alone will cause large variations
because the skins are able to carry shear loads in addi-
tion to what the core carries and, furthermore, are able
to take on additional shear loads after the core has
yielded. Several specifications, such as MIL-C-7438, still
call for beam-flexure tests for heavy density cores.We
have therefore provided the graph below, which shows
the results of beam-flexures on 5052 aluminum honey-
comb when tested per the military specifications, and
compares the L and W curves to the plate shear data
for the same core type. It should be noted that the
military specification calls for facing thicknesses that
are different for L and W tests at a given density.

5052 Shear Strength Comparison

Plate Shear vs. Beam-Flexures
Typical Values

Beam-Flexures per MIL-C-7438E with facing thickness as specified

1000

re
xu
le
-F
m

r
ea
ea

750 Sh
B

e
at
L

Pl

L
Shear Strength PSI

e
ur
lex
-F
eam
500 B ar

S he
W e
la t
P
W

250

0 2 4 6 8 10
Core Density PCF

14
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 18
Mechanical Property Tables
The most commonly measured honeycomb properties
are bare compressive strength, stabilized compressive
strength and modulus, crush strength, and L direction
and W direction plate shear strength and moduli.
The following tables contain the mechanical properties
of the various honeycomb core types for which Hexcel
has data. It should be noted that some of the core types
listed are not always readily available.
Hexcel has produced additional core types not listed,
and in some cases larger or smaller cell sizes, inter-
mediate or higher densities, and special materials
can be provided.
For detailed information on standard or special sheet
sizes, refer to the appropriate data sheets.
Crush strength values presented in this brochure are
to be used for preliminary designs. For core densities
below 3 pcf, these values vary as much as 20%. For
all other densities, crush strength values vary by 15%.
15
The honeycomb properties that follow are for the
compressive strength and modulus in the T direction,
and the shear strength and moduli in the LT and
WT directions.The honeycomb properties in other
secondary directions are extremely low compared to
the properties provided for the primary designed
orientation of honeycomb.The L and W direction
compressive properties are typically less than 5% of
the compressive properties in the T direction.The
plate shear strength is substantially less in the LW
plane than in either the LT or WT plane, while the
plate shear modulus in the LW plane is typically less
than 5% of the plate shear modulus in either the LT
plane or WT plane.
In addition to compressive strength and plate shear
properties, sometimes other honeycomb properties
are important for particular applications.These include
fatigue for repeated loads, creep from constant stress
over a long period of time (especially at elevated
temperatures or when combined with other materials),
and flatwise tensile strength.
Note: See page 12 for definitions of preliminary,
typical, and minimum.
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 19

HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

5052 Alloy Hexagonal Aluminum Honeycomb Specification Grade

Both CR-PAA and CR III corrosion-resistant coating
Compressive Plate Shear
Hexcel Honeycomb Nominal Crush
Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Designation Density Strength
Cell Size Alloy Foil Gauge pcf Strength Strength Modulus psi Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ min typ min typ typ typ min typ typ min typ
1/16 5052 .0007 6.5 950 740 1000 780 275 505x 560 440 90.0 350 270 40.0
1/16 5052 .001 9.2 1500 1170 1550 1200 420 750x 850 660 150.0 520 400 53.0
1/16 5052 .0015 12.4 2430 1900 2650 2000 650 1200x 1150 900 210.0 715 560 65.0
1/8 5052 .0007 3.1 285 200 300 215 75 130 210 155 45.0 130 90 22.0
1/8 5052 .001 4.5 550 375 570 405 150 260 340 285 70.0 220 168 31.0
1/8 5052 .0015 6.1 980 650 1020 680 240 450 560 455 98.0 340 272 41.0
1/8 5052 .002 8.1 1500 1000 1560 1100 350 750 800 670 135.0 470 400 54.0
1/8 5052 .0025 10.0 2100p 1575p 2250p 1685p 500x 1050x 980p 735p 175.0p 550p 415p 65.0p
1/8 5052 .003 12.0 2700 2100 2900 2200 900 1350x 1940I1250I 210.0x 1430I 1000I 78.0x
5/32 5052 .0007 2.6 220 150 240 160 55 90 165 120 37.0 100 70 19.0
5/32 5052 .001 3.8 395 285 410 300 110 185 270 215 56.0 165 125 26.4
5/32 5052 .0015 5.3 690 490 720 535 195 340 420 370 84.0 270 215 36.0
5/32 5052 .002 6.9 1080 770 1130 800 285 575 590 540 114.0 375 328 46.4
5/32 5052 .0025 8.4 1530 1070 1600 1180 370 800 760 690 140.0 475 420 56.0
3/16 5052 .0007 2.0 160 90 175 100 34 60 120 80 27.0 70 46 14.3
3/16 5052 .001 3.1 290 200 335 215 75 130 210 155 45.0 125 90 22.0
3/16 5052 .0015 4.4 520 360 550 385 145 250 330 280 68.0 215 160 30.0
3/16 5052 .002 5.7 820 560 860 600 220 390 460 410 90.0 300 244 38.5
3/16 5052 .0025 6.9 1120 770 1175 800 285 575 590 540 114.0 375 328 46.4
3/16 5052 .003 8.1 1600 1000 1720 1100 350 750 725 670 135.0 480 400 54.0
1/4 5052 .0007 1.6 90 60 100 70 20 40 85 60 21.0 50 32 11.0
1/4 5052 .001 2.3 190 120 210 130 45 75 140 100 32.0 85 57 16.2
1/4 5052 .0015 3.4 340 240 370 250 90 150 230 180 50.0 140 105 24.0
1/4 5052 .002 4.3 500 350 540 370 140 230 320 265 66.0 200 155 29.8
1/4 5052 .0025 5.2 690 500 760 510 190 335 410 360 82.0 265 200 35.4
1/4 5052 .003 6.0 990 630 1100 660 235 430 530 445 96.0 340 265 40.5
1/4 5052 .004 7.9 1420 970 1490 1050 340 725 700 650 130.0 440 390 52.8
3/8 5052 .0007 1.0 50 20 55 20 10 25 45 32 12.0 30 20 7.0
3/8 5052 .001 1.6 90 60 95 70 20 40 85 60 21.0 50 32 11.0
3/8 5052 .0015 2.3 190 120 200 130 45 75 135 100 32.0 80 57 16.2
3/8 5052 .002 3.0 285 190 310 200 70 120 200 145 43.0 125 85 21.2
3/8 5052 .0025 3.7 370 270 410 285 105 180 250 200 55.0 160 115 26.0
3/8 5052 .003 4.2 520 335 560 355 135 220 310 255 65.0 200 150 29.0
3/8 5052 .004 5.4 740 500 800 535 200 360 430 380 86.0 280 228 36.8
3/8 5052 .005 6.5 950 700 1000 750 265 505 545 500 105.0 350 300 43.5
Notes:
Test data obtained at 0.625" thickness.
I = Beam shear for 1/8 12.0 pcf product.
p = Preliminary (see page 12).
x = Predicted value.

16
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 20

5056 Alloy Hexagonal Aluminum Honeycomb Specification Grade

Both CR-PAA and CR III corrosion-resistant coating
Compressive Plate Shear
Hexcel Honeycomb Nominal Crush
Designation Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Density Strength
Cell Size Alloy Foil Gauge pcf Strength Strength Modulus psi Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ min typ min typ typ typ min typ typ min typ
1/16 5056 .001 9.2 1700p 1300p 1800p 1400p 500p 850x 980p 760p 155.0p 600p 460p 50.0p
1/8 5056 .0007 3.1 320 250 350 260 97 170 250 200 45.0 155 110 20.0
1/8 5056 .001 4.5 630 475 690 500 185 320 440 350 70.0 255 205 28.0
1/8 5056 .0015 6.1 1120 760 1200 825 295 535 690 525 102.0 400 305 38.0
1/8 5056 .002 8.1 1750 1200 1900 1300 435 810 945 740 143.0 560 440 51.0
5/32 5056 .0007 2.6 250 180 265 185 70 120 200 152 37.0 115 80 17.0
5/32 5056 .001 3.8 450 360 500 375 140 235 335 272 57.0 195 155 24.0
5/32 5056 .0015 5.3 820 615 865 650 240 420 550 435 85.0 325 250 33.0
5/32 5056 .002 6.9 1220 920 1340 1000 350 650 760 610 118.0 430 360 43.0
3/16 5056 .0007 2.0 190 110 200 120 45 75 140 105 27.0 85 50 13.0
3/16 5056 .001 3.1 380 250 410 260 97 170 265 200 45.0 150 110 20.0
3/16 5056 .0015 4.4 620 460 670 490 180 310 425 340 68.0 245 198 27.0
3/16 5056 .002 5.7 920 685 1000 735 270 480 565 480 94.0 330 280 36.0
1/4 5056 .0007 1.6 100 75 110 80 30 50 90 78 20.0 60 38 10.5
1/4 5056 .001 2.3 240 145 265 155 58 100 180 130 32.0 100 62 15.0
1/4 5056 .0015 3.4 400 300 480 315 115 200 290 230 50.0 175 130 22.0
1/4 5056 .002 4.3 580 440 620 465 172 300 400 325 67.0 230 190 27.0
1/4 5056 .0025 5.2 790 600 820 645 230 410 490 425 84.0 300 245 32.0
3/8 5056 .0007 1.0 55 25 60 35 15 35 55 45 15.0 35 25 6.8
3/8 5056 .001 1.6 100 75 110 80 30 50 90 78 20.0 60 38 10.5
3/8 5056 .0015 2.3 215 155 225 155 58 100 170 130 32.0 95 62 15.0
3/8 5056 .002 3.0 320 240 340 260 92 160 245 190 43.0 145 100 19.0
Notes:
p = Preliminary (see page 12). x = Predicted value.

Aluminum Commercial Grade (ACG) for 3000 Series Alloy

Hexcel Compressive Plate Shear
Honeycomb Nominal Crush
Designation Density Strength
Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Material pcf psi
Cell Size Strength Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi

typ typ typ typ typ typ typ typ

ACG 1/4 4.8 630 660 148 245 365 70 215 38
ACG 3/8 3.3 340 370 92 120 230 45 130 22
ACG 1/2 2.3 190 205 40 60 140 28 80 14
ACG 3/4 1.8 120 130 24 45 100 20 65 11
ACG 1 1.3 80 85 16p 25 65 14 45 7
Notes:
Test data obtained at 0.625" thickness.
p = Preliminary (see page 12).

17
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 21

HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

5052 Alloy RigicellTM Aluminum Corrugated Honeycomb

Both CR-PAA and CR III corrosion-resistant coating
Hexcel Honeycomb Compressive Strength Beam Shear Strength
Nominal Crush
Designation L W
Density Strength
Cell Size Alloy Bare Stabilized Modulus Direction Modulus Direction Modulus
pcf psi
Foil Gauge Configuration psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ typ typ typ typ
1/8 2 .003-STD 12.0 1600 2300 2400 560x 1950 210x 1500 75x
1/8 2 .0038-STD 14.5 2150 2900 3050 650x 2200 260x 1600 80x
1/8 2 .006-STD 22.1 4000 5100 5200 970x 3000 440x 2050 100x
1/8 2 .006-R2 38.0 6500 8500 8700 1650x 4300p 950x 2200p 140x
1/8 2 .006-2R2 55.0 12500x 13000p 2400x 4900p 1370x 2610p 180x
3/16 2 .006-STD 15.7 2400 3200 3300 700x 2400x 280x 1500x 85x
3/16 2 .006-R2S 25.0 4400p 5700 5800p 1100x 3350p 670x 1700p 105x
1/4 2 .006-STD 10.5 1350 2100 2200 980x 1300x 180x 800x 70x
Notes:
Test data obtained at 0.625" thickness.
p = Preliminary (see page 12). R2 = Reinforced (inter leaf) every ribbon, non-staggered. 2R2 = Corrugation double lap, reinforced
x = Predicted value. R2S = Reinforced (inter leaf) every ribbon, staggered. (inter leaf) every ribbon, non-staggered

Aluminum Flex-Core
Both CR-PAA and CR III corrosion-resistant coating
5052 Alloy Aluminum Flex-Core Specification Grade
Compressive Plate Shear
Hexcel Honeycomb Nominal Crush
Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Designation Density Strength
Alloy/Cell Count Foil Gauge pcf Strength Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
psi
psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ min typ min typ typ min typ min typ min typ
5052/F40 .0013 2.1 200 126 225 157 65 80 90 63 18.0 50 37 10.0
5052/F40 .0016 2.5 260 200 285 215 90x 120x 120x 95x 24.0x 70x 55x 11.0x
5052/F40 .0019 3.1 350 238 380 280 125 165 165 126 32.0 95 75 13.0
5052/F40 .0025 4.1 525 378 560 420 185 250 260 182 45.0 165 115 17.0
5052/F40 .0037 5.7 935 630 1050 700 290 380 430 280 68.0 260 170 23.0
5052/F80 .0013 4.3 615 402 650 455 195 275x 300 196 45.0 190 120 20.0
5052/F80 .0019 6.5 1140 700 1250 735 310 510x 500 308 72.0 310 180 24.0
5052/F80 .0025 8.0 1600 1100 1750 1120 400 720x 645 434 98.0 440 260 31.0
5052 Alloy Aluminum Double-Flex Specification Grade
5052/DF25 .0025 2.7 360 270 390 290 120p 145p 185 140 29.0p 100 80 13.0p
5052/DF25 .0047 4.8 850 680 960 720 220x 430p 370 290 50.0p 240 180 22.0p
5052/DF40 .0025 4.2 760p 600p 850p 680p 190x 350p 280p 220p 30.0p 190p 150p 17.0p
5056 Alloy Aluminum Flex-Core Specification Grade
5056/F40 .0014 2.1 240 150 260 182 65 105x 105 74 18.0 55 42 10.0
5056/F40 .0020 3.1 460 284 510 329 125 205x 200 150 32.0 120 90 13.0
5056/F40 .0026 4.1 680 440 740 483 185 305x 310 217 45.0 200 132 17.0
5056/F80 .0014 4.3 780 475 860 518 195 350x 375 235 47.0 240 138 20.0
5056/F80 .0020 6.5 1400 805 1500 910 310 630x 650 364 73.0 420 213 24.0
5056/F80 .0026 8.0 1800 1210 1950 1260 410 810x 770 518 100.0 475 307 32.0
Notes: Test data obtained at 0.625" thickness. p = Preliminary (see page 12). x = Predicted values.

18
99HXDH1679 Rv. HW HC Guide v.2 11/24/99 2:37 PM Page 22

HRP Fiberglass Reinforced Phenolic Honeycomb

Hexcel Honeycomb Compressive Plate Shear
Designation Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Material Cell Size Strength Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
Density psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
Hexagonal typ min typ min typ typ min typ typ min typ
HRP 3/16 4.0 480 400 590 480 57 310 210 13.0 160 130 6.5
HRP 3/16 5.5 800 620 900 750 95 490 390 19.0 265 200 11.0
HRP 3/16 7.0 1150 900 1300 1040 136 650 510 30.0 370 290 14.0
HRP 3/16 8.0 1350 1100 1530 1280 164 750 TBD TBD 460 370 19.0
HRP 3/16 12.0 2300 1800 2520 1960 260 985 815 48.0 675 525 28.0
HRP 1/4 3.5 390 280 455 400 46 250 180 10.0 125 100 5.0
HRP 1/4 4.5 585 480 640 560 70 355 280 15.0 200 155 8.0
HRP 1/4 5.0 680 530 820 660 84 400 305 20.0 230 180 10.0
HRP 1/4 6.5 1025 850 1180 920 120 580 450 25.0 330 260 13.0
HRP 3/8 2.2 165 125 180 145 13 120 90 6.0 60 45 3.0
HRP 3/8 3.2 315 260 390 350 38 205 160 12.0 110 85 5.0
HRP 3/8 4.5 610 450 690 550 65 325 260 14.0 190 150 8.0
HRP 3/8 6.0 900 750 1000 800 100 520 400 25.0 300 210 12.0
HRP 3/8 8.0 1400 1000 1540 1180 150 700 540 27.0 450 350 18.0
OX-Core
HRP/OX 1/4 4.5 560 480 675 540 43 250 200 7.0 260 210 15.0
HRP/OX 1/4 5.5 775 580 890 670 65 300 230 10.0 330 255 18.0
HRP/OX 1/4 7.0 1150 850 1230 990 84 395 310 14.0 450 350 20.0
HRP/OX 3/8 3.2 340 260 390 300 32 140 110 4.5 150 120 9.0
HRP/OX 3/8 5.5 700 580 820 615 60 270 210 10.0 355 275 17.0
Flex-Core
HRP/F35 2.5 180 135 240 185 25 125 95 12.0 70 55 7.0
HRP/F35 3.5 320 245 400 300 37 200 140 15.0 105 75 10.0
HRP/F35 4.5 440 340 600 470 49 280 220 22.0 140 110 12.0
HRP/F50 3.5 315 225 395 255 37 170 130 16.0 90 65 8.0
HRP/F50 4.5 420 340 600 500 49 265 200 25.0 140 100 13.0
HRP/F50 5.5 700 540 800 680 61 440 330 40.0 235 180 18.0
Note: Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness.
HFT Fiberglass Reinforced Phenolic Honeycomb (Fibertruss Bias Weave)
Compressive Plate Shear
Hexcel Honeycomb
Designation Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
Material Cell Size Density psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ min typ typ min typ typ min typ
HFT 1/8 3.0 350 270 23.0 195 150 19.0 95 75 7.5
HFT 1/8 4.0 560 420 46.0 315 240 25.0 150 120 12.0
HFT 1/8 5.5 900 700 69.0 525 410 40.0 250 190 16.0
HFT 1/8 8.0 1750 1500 100.0 675 525 45.0 480 400 21.5
HFT 3/16 2.0 170 130 17.0 115 90 15.0 60 50 5.0
HFT 3/16 3.0 365 275 34.0 200 155 19.0 100 80 9.0
HFT 3/16 4.0 550 460 44.0 340 270 25.0 190 140 12.0
HFT 3/8 4.0 500 400 380 290 27.0 195 140 13.0
HFT/OX 3/16 6.0 1200 1020 63.0 320 240 18.0 260 190 19.0
Notes:
Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness.
HFT Fiberglass Reinforced Phenolic Honeycomb normally is not tested for bare compressive strength.

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

HRH-327 Fiberglass Reinforced Polyimide Honeycomb

Compressive Plate Shear
Hexcel Honeycomb
Designation Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Material Cell Size Density Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ min typ typ min typ typ min typ
HRH-327 1/8 3.2 310 220 27 195 140 19 95 70 7.5
HRH-327 1/8 5.5 790p 600p 80p 465p 300p 30p 245p 175p 14.5p
HRH-327 3/16 4.0 440p 340p 40p 280p 200p 24p 130p 90p 10.0p
HRH-327 3/16 4.5 520 400 45 320 220 33 150 110 11.0
HRH-327 3/16 5.0 600p 480p 68p 370p 280p 37p 180p 135p 12.0p
HRH-327 3/16 6.0 780 625 87 460 345 45 230 170 15.0
HRH-327 3/16 8.0 1210 1000 100 700 490 55 420 300 22.0
HRH-327 3/8 4.0 440 325 50 280 195 29 150 100 12.0
HRH-327 3/8 5.5 680 540 78 420 300 41 210 160 13.0
HRH-327 3/8 7.0 1000p 875p 106p 575p 480p 53p 340p 280p 18.0p
Notes:
Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness.
p = Preliminary (see page 12).
HRH-327 Fiberglass Reinforced Polyimide Honeycomb normally is not tested for bare compressive strength.

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HRH-10 Aramid Fiber/Phenolic Resin Honeycomb

Hexcel Honeycomb Compressive Plate Shear
Designation Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Material Strength Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
Cell Size Density psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
Hexagonal typ min typ min typ typ min typ typ min typ
HRH-10 1/16 3.4 195 160 205 170 20 155 125 6.0 85 65 2.9
HRH-10 1/8 1.8 105 85 115 95 8 90 75 3.8 50 40 1.5
HRH-10 1/8 3.0 290 235 325 270 20 175 155 6.5 100 85 3.5
HRH-10 1/8 4.0 520 400 575 470 28 255 225 8.6 140 115 4.7
HRH-10 1/8 5.0 700 560 770 620 37 325 275 10.2 175 150 5.4
HRH-10 1/8 6.0 1050 850 1125 925 60 385 330 13.0 200 170 6.5
HRH-10 1/8 8.0 1675 1370 1830 1450 78 480 400 16.0 260 210 9.5
HRH-10 1/8 9.0 2000 1525 2100 1600 90 515 425 17.5 300 250 11.0
HRH-10 3/16 1.5 85 70 95 80 6 65 50 3.0 35 28 1.6
HRH-10 3/16 1.8 120 95 130 105 8 90 75 3.8 50 40 1.9
HRH-10 3/16 2.0 135 110 150 130 11 95 80 4.3 55 45 2.1
HRH-10 3/16 3.0 275 235 325 270 20 175 140 6.5 100 85 3.4
HRH-10 3/16 4.0 500 430 540 470 28 245 215 7.8 140 110 4.7
HRH-10 3/16 6.0 935 780 1020 865 60 420 370 13.0 225 200 6.5
HRH-10 1/4 1.5 80 65 90 75 6 70 55 3.0 35 25 1.3
HRH-10 1/4 2.0 120 100 130 105 11 95 80 4.2 45 36 2.0
HRH-10 1/4 3.1 285 240 310 265 21 185 160 6.5 90 75 3.0
HRH-10 1/4 4.0 440 360 480 390 28 250 205 8.0 125 100 3.5
HRH-10 3/8 1.5 95 75 105 80 6 70 55 3.0 35 25 1.5
HRH-10 3/8 2.0 140 115 155 125 11 90 72 3.7 55 36 2.4
HRH-10 3/8 3.0 255 210 270 225 17 200 160 6.5 100 80 3.0
HRH-10 3/4 1.5 70p 50p 80p 55p 7p 70p 55p 3.4p 35p 25p 1.7p
OX-Core
HRH-10/OX 3/16 1.8 100 80 110 90 7 50 40 2.0 60 50 3.0
HRH-10/OX 3/16 3.0 320 260 350 285 17 105 95 2.5 120 100 6.0
HRH-10/OX 3/16 4.0 600 500 650 550 26 130 105 4.6 150 130 8.4
HRH-10/OX 1/4 3.0 350 280 385 310 17 110 90 3.0 135 110 6.0
Flex-Core
HRH-10/F35 2.5 200 150 235 175 12 110 90 4.0 65 50 2.5
HRH-10/F35 3.5 410 320 430 330 24 220 170 6.0 120 90 3.7
HRH-10/F35 4.5 580 440 620 480 33 300 230 9.0 190 150 4.3
HRH-10/F50 3.5 380 300 400 310 24 175 130 5.5 100 75 3.6
HRH-10/F50 4.5 565 450 585 470 33 330 250 9.5 175 140 4.7
HRH-10/F50 5.0 670 520 690 540 37 380 300 10.0 215 170 5.2
HRH-10/F50 5.5 800 620 850 660 42 400 320 10.5 230 180 5.7
Notes:Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness.
p = Preliminary (see page 12).

HRH-310 Aramid Fiber/Polyimide Resin Honeycomb

Hexcel Honeycomb Compressive Plate Shear
Designation Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Material Strength Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
Cell Size Density psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ typ typ typ typ typ typ
HRH-310 1/8 1.8 60 70 57 3.4 30 1.0
HRH-310 1/8 5.0 660 730 40 325 10.0 175 5.0
Notes: Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness.
Data are from a very limited amount of testing.

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

HRH-78 Nomex Commercial Grade Aramid Fiber/Phenolic Resin Honeycomb

Hexcel Honeycomb Compressive Plate Shear
Designation Bare Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Material Strength Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
Cell Size Density psi psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ typ typ typ typ typ typ
HRH-78 1/8 3.0 280 315 18.5p 160 5.3p 90 3.1p
HRH-78 1/8 8.0 1600 1750 60.0p 470 15.0p 250 7.8p
HRH-78 3/16 3.0 270 330 18.2p 124 4.6p 81 3.5p
HRH-78 3/16 6.0 1125 1200 450 13.0p 235 5.5p
HRH-78 1/4 3.0 265 285 19.0p 120 4.6p 80 3.0p
HRH-78 3/8 1.5 85 95 6.0p 60 2.5p 33 1.5p
Notes: Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness. p = Preliminary value obtained from limited testing (see page 12).

HRH-49 Kevlar 49 Honeycomb

Compressive Plate Shear
Hexcel Honeycomb
Designation Stabilized L Direction W Direction
Strength Modulus Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
Material Cell Size Density psi ksi psi ksi psi ksi
typ min typ typ min typ typ min typ
HRH-49 1/4 2.1 130 100 25 85 50 2.7 40 30 1.3
Note: Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness.

KOREX Aramid Fiber/Phenolic Resin Honeycomb

Compressive Plate Shear
Hexcel Honeycomb Designation L Direction
Bare Stabilized W Direction
Material Cell Size Density Strength Strength Strength Modulus Strength Modulus
psi psi psi ksi psi ksi
typ typ typ typ typ typ
KOREX 1/8 3.0 260 280 178 14.4 105 7.0
KOREX 1/8 4.5 530 590 360 29.5 220 12.0
KOREX 1/8 6.0 980 1000 520 34.5 310 16.0
KOREX 5/32 2.4 230 260 168 11.7 101 6.6
KOREX 3/16 2.0 150 160 85 12.0 70 5.0
KOREX 3/16 3.0 280 280 220 20.0 115 9.0
KOREX 3/16 4.5 580 660 370 31.0 220 11.4
KOREX 1/4 1.5 100 110 85 7.4 47 3.1
KOREX 3/8 4.5 520 560 343 22.4 189 8.3
KOREX 3/8OX 1.5 90 100 65 4.2 49 4.2
Notes: Test data obtained at 0.500" thickness. Data are from a very limited amount of testing.

TPU Thermoplastic Polyurethane Honeycomb

Hexcel Honeycomb Designation
Material Cell Size Film Gauge Density

TPU 7/32 .008 7.2

TPU 9/32 .012 8.0
TPU 7/16 .0015 7.4

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Comparison of Typical Mechanical Properties and Other Design Considerations

The curves on the following pages compare the typical mechanical properties of several honeycomb types.They
are intended to show relative strength and shear moduli at ambient temperature. Included also are two graphs
showing the effect of elevated temperatures on honeycomb strength after 30 minutes and 100 hours of exposure.
The selection of a particular honeycomb type is, of course, not only dependent on the mechanical properties.
Many other factors have to be considered.A few of these considerations and the relative ratings of several honey-
comb materials are presented in the table below. In overall economics or value analysis, one should also keep in
mind such factors as tooling requirements, shop losses, previous experience, and, of course, the optimization of
structural properties at minimum weight for the overall structure. Hexcel can assist with honeycomb material
selection and trade-off analysis.

5052 5052
ACG HRH- HRH- HFT-
Attributes 5056 5056 HRP HFT KOREX
CR III 327 10 G-327
CR III CR-PAA
Relative Cost Mod Low Med Very Low Mod High High Very High Med High Very High
Maximum Long-Term
350F 350F 350F 350F 350F 500F 350F 350F 500F
Temperature
Flammability Resistance E E E E E E E E E
Impact Resistance G G G F G F E E F
Moisture Resistance E E E E E E G E E
Fatigue Strength G G G G G G E E E
Heat Transfer High High High Low Low Low Low Low Med
Corrosion Resistance G E G E E E E E E

E = Excellent.
G = Good.
F = Fair.
P = Poor.
Mod = Moderately.
Med = Medium.

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Typical Stabilized Compressive Strength

4000

HFT-G
Stabilized Comprressive Strength PSI

3000

T
HF P
10, HR
-
RH
6,H
2000 5
50
52
50

7
32
H-
HR

1000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Density PCF

Typical Static Crush Strength

4000

3000
d
te
ga
Crush Strength PSI

ru
or
C
52
50

2000
ore
e -C
Tub

1000
ed
nd
x pa
5 6E d
50 de
p an
Ex
52
50

0 4 8 12 16 20

Density PCF

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Typical
y L Shear Strength
g
1200

HFT-G

1000
P
5056 HR

800
"L" Shear Strength PSI

5052
HRH-327

600
HFT
HRH-10

400

200

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Density PCF

Typical L Shear Modulus

250

T-G
HF
200
"L" Shear Modulus KSI

150
5052, 5056

100

HFT, HRH-327
50
HRP

HRH-10

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Density PCF

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Typical W Shear Strength

800

HFT-G

P
600 HR

56
50
52
"W" Shear Strength PSI

50

HRH-327
400

HFT
HRH-10

200

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Density PCF

Typical W Shear Modulus

100

HFT-G

80
"W" Shear Modulus KSI

60

5052, 5056

40

HFT 27
H-3
HR
20
HRP
HRH-10

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Density PCF

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Temperature Effects
30-Minute30Exposure (tested
Minute Exposure at temperature)
(Tested at Temperature)
100

HRH-327

80
Percent of Room Temperature Strength

HFT

5052, 5056
60
HRP

HRH-10
40

20

0 100 200 300 400 500

Exposure and Test Temperature F

100-Hour Exposure (tested at temperature)

100

80
Percent of Room Temperature Strength

HRH-327

60

40
HRP

20

0 100 200 300 400 500

Exposure and Test Temperature F

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Additional Properties of Honeycomb

Acoustical
Honeycomb, to which a perforated facing skin has been applied, is often used for sound attenuation applications.
Hexcels Acousti-Core honeycomb is filled with fiberglass batting.Available
in many of the standard core types of 3/16" and larger cell size, this honey-
Noise
Noise Reduction Coefficient
Reduction Coefficient comb with porous or perforated facings can be used for lightweight sound
80 absorption panels that have considerable structural integrity.
The noise reduction
0.8
coefficient (NRC) of
Acousti-Core is shown Pressure Drop Across
0.6
on the graph to the Aluminum Honeycomb
NRC

left.The NRC value is 1.0

0.4
the average of sound 0.8
absorption coefficients
0.2
at 250, 500,1000,and 0.6

0
2000 cycles per sec- 0.5 1/8"CELL
0 1 2 3 ond.The higher the
Sandwich Thickness in NRC value, the more 0.4
efficient the absorber.

T
4"
0.3

T
2"
Static Pressure Drop Inches of Water

Air/Fluid Directionalization
0.2
Over the years, honeycomb has been used very success-

T
fully for directionalizing air, water, and fluid flow in a wide

1"
0.15 3/8" CELL
variety of ducts and channels.The open, straight honey-
comb cells are an efficient means of controlling the flow

T
of air with a minimum pressure drop. Laminar flow can

4"
0.10
typically be attained by using a honeycomb thickness to

T
2"
cell size ratio of 68 for most flow rates.Aluminum honey- 0.08

comb with CR III corrosion-resistant coating is used for

T
3/4" CELL
air directionalization applications. 0.06 1"

Pressure Drop Across Honeycomb 0.05

The pressure drop across honeycomb placed in a fluid 0.04

stream has been found to be extremely small compared
T
2"

with alternate devices such as wire screens and perforated 0.03

metal panels.The large open frontal area of honeycomb
T
1"

is the dominant reason for this.All honeycomb types

considered for air directional applications have 9599% 0.02

open area.The major flow resistance is related to friction

drag on the cell walls.As would be expected, smaller cell 0.015

sizes and thicker honeycomb cores have higher pressure

drops.The cell wall foil gauge has a negligible effect on 0.01
the pressure drop.The figure at right shows the pressure 1000 2000 3000 5000 7000 10000
drop measured across three aluminum honeycomb types Air Flow cfm
at 1-, 2-, and 4-inch thickness.These measurements were 18" diameter duct
made in a straight 18-inch diameter duct.

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Bending of Honeycomb
When hexagonal honeycomb is bent, it exhibits
a phenomenon where the honeycomb is forcibly
curved around one axis and the core reacts by bend-
ing in a reversed curvature along an axis oriented
90. This phenomenon is called anticlastic curvature.
Poissons ratio is the ratio of the lateral strain to
the axial strain when the resulting strains are caused
by a uniaxial stress. Poissons ratios for different types
of honeycomb have been determined to vary between
0.1 and 0.5. As would be expected, Poissons ratio
for Flex-Core cell configuration is less than Poissons
ratio for hexagonal cell configuration.
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
Honeycomb will change its dimensions slightly when
subject to a change in temperature.The change in dimensions as a function of temperature is determined
by the substrate material. Coefficients of thermal expansion in the thickness direction for various honey-
comb materials are as follows:

Honeycomb Core Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

(inch/inch F)
CR III, CR-PAA, 5052, 5056, ACG Aluminum 13.2 x 106
HRP, HFT, HRH-327 Fiberglass 8.2 x 106
HRH-10, HRH-310, HRH-78 Nomex 19.4 x 106
HRH-49 Kevlar 2.7 x 106
HFT-G Carbon 2.0 x 106

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Dielectric
Nonmetallic honeycomb is used extensively in radomes, both airborne and stationary, because of its very low
dielectric constant and loss tangent.Thus nonmetallic honeycomb allows the wave energy to be transmitted with
only negligible reflection and absorption.The figure below shows the dielectric constant as a function of core
density for several honeycomb types.The values were obtained for both polarizations and with the electric field
vector E perpendicular and parallel to the ribbon direction.Testing was conducted at 9375 Megahertz. In addition
to the electric field polarization, the dielectric constant is a function of the incidence angle and the thickness of
the honeycomb.

Dielectric Constant at 0 Incidence Angle

1.20

Parallel Polarization
Perpendicular Polarization

1.16
10 P
H- HR 327
HR H-
HR
Dielectric Constant

1.12

10
H-
HR P
HR -3 2
7
1.08 HRH

1.04

1.00
0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0
Honeycomb Density PCF

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Energy Absorption
As mentioned under the Crush Strength property description (page 10), honeycomb loaded axially beyond its
ultimate compressive peak will absorb energy at constant stress.The figure below shows the crush curve of
aluminum honeycomb. Hexagonal honeycomb or Tube-Core used in this manner can be designed to crush
uniformly at a predetermined level, thereby providing a highly reliable absorber at low weight.
See Hexcel technical brochure TSB 122, Design Data for the Preliminary Selection of Honeycomb Energy
Absorption Systems, and the data sheet Tube-Core Energy Absorption Cylinder for further information on
honeycomb for energy absorption applications.

Aluminum Honeycomb Crush Curve

Peak load

Aluminum honeycomb absorbs energy

by crushing under load.
Load lb

Stroke is about 70% of initial height

Peak load eliminated by pre-crushing

Average crush load

Area under curve is measure of energy absorbed

Displacement in

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Moisture Absorption
HRP 3/16 4.0 1.7%
Samples of HFT, HRP, and HRH-10 were exposed to 95% relative humidity at
HFT 1/8 4.0 1.3%
120F for 120 hours to determine the moisture pickup.The following percent
HFT 3/16 4.0 1.6%
moisture pickups were measured.
HRH-10 3/16 4.0 4.4%
HFT-G 3/16 6.0 2.0%
Radio Frequency Shielding KOREX 3/16 4.5 3.4%
Aluminum honeycomb has been used for RF shielding because the cellular
structure can be compared to a myriad of wave guides.When properly designed as to cell size and cell depth,
honeycomb will attenuate a required Db level through a wide frequency range.

Thermal Conductivity
Thermal conductivity through sandwich panels can be isolated into the contribution of each component: facings,
core, and adhesive.The resistances (R = kt or reciprocal of conductivity) can simply be addedincluding the
effect of boundary layer conditions.The thermal properties of typical facing materials may be found in hand-
books.Thermal resistance values for typical core-to-facing adhesives are 0.03 for film adhesives with a scrim cloth
support and 0.01 for unsupported adhesives.The thermal conductivity of aluminum and nonmetallic honeycomb
at a mean temperature of 75F is shown below. For nonmetallic honeycomb, cell size is much more important
than core density. For aluminum honeycomb, density is the variable that determines the thermal conductivity.
The thermal conductivity of aluminum honeycomb is nearly independent of the core thickness, for thicknesses
between 0.3754.0".To adjust for mean temperature, multiply the thermal conductivity at 75F by Q using the
bottom figure.Thermal conductivity of honeycomb may be decreased by filling the cells with insulating materials.)

Thermal Conductivity of Aluminum Honeycomb

Units
Density (lb/ft3) 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
Thermal conductivity (k) (BTU-in)/(hr-ft2-F) 27 38 61 103

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Thermal Conductivity Nonmetallic Honeycomb

0.9

0.8
(BTU in.)/(HR sq.ft. F)

0.7
Acousti-Core
Thermal Conductivity

1/8"
0.6
3/16"
1/4"
0.5
3/8"
3/4"
0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 2
Honeycomb Thickness In

Effect of Mean Temperature on Thermal Conductivity

kT = k(75F)*Q
2

1.8

1.6
Nonmetallic honeycomb
1.4
Metallic honeycomb

1.2
Coefficient Q

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

200 150 100 50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Mean Temperature F

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Comparison and Benefits of Honeycomb Versus Alternative Core Materials

Materials other than honeycomb are used as core materials.These are primarily foams and wood-based
products.The advantages of honeycomb compared to these alternative core materials are as follows.

Material Property Honeycomb Advantages

Foam includes
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Relatively low crush strength and stiffness Excellent crush strength and stiffness
polymethacrylimide Increasing stress with increasing strain Constant crush strength
polyurethane Friable Structural integrity
polystyrene Limited strength Exceptionally high strengths available
phenolic Fatigue High fatigue resistance
polyethersulfone (PES) Cannot be formed around curvatures OX-Core and Flex-Core cell configurations
for curvatures
Wood-based includes
plywood Very heavy density Excellent strength-to-weight ratio
balsa Subject to moisture degradation Excellent moisture resistance
particleboard Flammable Self-extinguishing, low smoke versions available

Sub-Panel Structure Comparison Relative Relative Relative

Strength Stiffness Weight
The comparison at the right shows the relative
Honeycomb 100% 100% 3%
strength and weight attributes of the most
Foam Sandwich 26% 68%
common types of sandwich panels.
Structural Extrusion 62% 99%
Sheet & Stringer 64% 86%
Plywood 3% 17% 100%

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Applications
The major usage of honeycomb is for structural applications. Honeycombs beneficial strength-to-weight and
stiffness-to-weight ratios (see diagram on bottom of page 1) compared to other materials and configurations
are unmatched.
Honeycombs long-standing traditional application is in aircraft. Some of the aircraft parts that are made
from honeycomb include:
ailerons cowls doors
elevators empennages fairings
flaps flooring leading edges
nacelles radomes rudders
slats spoilers stabilizers
struts tabs thrust reversers
trailing edges
Other aerospace vehicles that use honeycomb include:
helicopters missiles satellite launch vehicles
satellites space shuttle
After aircraft and other airborne aerospace vehicles, the next most prominent uses for honeycomb
occur in various land and water transportation vehicles.The different types of vehicles and most
common applications are:
Automobiles
energy absorption protective structures in Formula I race cars
air directionalization for engine fuel injection system
energy absorption in pillars and along roof line for passenger protection
crash testing barriers
Rail
doors
floors
energy absorbers/bumpers
ceilings
partitions
Marine
commercial vessel and naval vessel bulkheads
Americas Cup sailing yachts
wall, ceiling, and partition panels
Other applications for honeycomb that are not transportation related include:
clean room panels
exterior architectural curtain wall panels
air, water, fluid, and light directionalization
heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and devices
skis and snowboards
energy absorption protective structures
electronic shielding enclosures
acoustic attenuation

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Hexcel Honeycomb Technical Literature Index

Brochures
Design Data for the Preliminary Selection of Honeycomb Energy
Absorption Systems TSB 122
Hexcel CR-PAA
Hexcel Honeycomb FMVSS 201U Safety Standards
Hexcel Special Process
HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties
Honeycomb Sandwich Design Technology
Honeycomb Selector Guide
Data Sheets
A1 and A10. High Strength Aramid Honeycomb [U.K. manufactured equivalents to HRH-10 and HRH-78 respectively]
ACG Honeycomb.Aluminum Commercial Grade
Acousti-Core. Acoustical Absorption Honeycomb
Aluminum Flex-Core. Formable Aluminum Honeycomb
CFCTM-20. Composite Flooring Honeycomb Core
CR III. Corrosion Resistant Specification Grade Aluminum Honeycomb
CR III Micro-CellTM. Aluminum Honeycomb
CR-PAATM . Phosphoric Acid Anodized Aluminum Honeycomb
CROSS-CORE. Bi-directional Aluminum Corrugated Honeycomb
Fibertruss HFT. Fiberglass/Phenolic Honeycomb
Nonmetallic Flex-Core. Formable Nonmetallic/Phenolic Honeycomb
Hexcel Honeycomb in Air Directionalizing Applications
HRH-10.Aramid Fiber/Phenolic Honeycomb
HRH-49. Honeycomb of Kevlar 49
HRH-78. Nomex Commercial Grade Honeycomb
HRH-310.Aramid Fiber/Polyimide Resin Honeycomb
HRH-327. Fiberglass Reinforced Polyimide Honeycomb
HRP. Fiberglass/Phenolic Honeycomb
KOREX. Para-Aramid/Phenolic Core
RigicellTM. Corrosion Resistant Aluminum Corrugated Honeycomb
TPU TM
. Thermoplastic Polyurethane Honeycomb
Tube-Core. Energy Absorption Cylinder
3003. [U.K. manufactured equivalent to ACG]
5052. High Strength Aluminum Honeycomb [U.K. manufactured equivalent to CR III]
Guide
Aluminum and Nomex Honeycombs Cross Reference Guide

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HexWeb Honeycomb Attributes and Properties

Hexcel Composite Materials

For further information, please Am Westpark 13

contact your nearest Hexcel 81373 Mnchen, Germany
Sales Office, or visit our web site Tel 49 89 743 5250
at www.hexcel.com Fax 49 89 743 52520

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N.B. Telephone/fax numbers include country codes (in bold) that should be omitted for national dialing.
For international dialing, use international code but omit number in parentheses.

Important
Hexcel Corporation makes no warranty, whether expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability
or of fitness for a particular purpose. Under no circumstances shall Hexcel Corporation be liable for incidental,
consequential, or other damages arising out of a claim from alleged negligence, breach of warranty, strict liability
or any other theory, through the use or handling of this product or the inability to use the product. The sole liability
of Hexcel Corporation for any claims arising out of the manufacture, use, or sale of its products shall be for the
replacement of the quantity of this product which has proven to not substantially comply with the data presented
in this bulletin. Users should make their own assessment of the suitability of any product for the purposes
required. The above supercedes any provision in your companys forms, letters, or other documents.

Copyright 1999 Hexcel All Rights Reserved. Printed on recycled paper. TSB 120 (11/99)